Bobby is the king of myopic thinkers. When he's not, he's a decent poster. But most of the time he is. And, well....you know...
By all means, feel free to think that a Lebron and Paul George Lakers team is going to win it all. Don't let me get in your way.
LBJ + 4 guys from the T is a tough out. LBJ + PG = 50 Ws and a tough out in the the Spring Tournament. 8 straight Finals means nada to you???
The Lakers have historically done very little impressive in free agency and you are forgetting the fact that the Warriors and Rockets will have one more year of free agency to improve as well.
If it was 8 straight finals out of the West that would mean something, but the East has been a joke for decades. Being the best in the East doesn't necessarily mean that you'd make it to the WCF depending on what year we're talking about.
Not saying they will but anybody that thinks they can't get past the Rockets or WarriorsWar being a homer. LeBron absolutely puts a team on his back in the playoffs, and if you pair him with a star, some good young talent and a couple of ring hungry vets, you never know. I agree it's stupid for him to choose the Lakers over the Rockets, but the Lakers could easily be as good as any team in the west with him on it.
Let's see what happens first with regards to how they get Lebron and/or PG. If they do an opt in and trade scenario where they move out Deng they will suddenly have a lot of flexibility to keep Randle, potentially add someone like Kemba, etc. I can't judge whether they will contend or not until I know what they are doing with their roster. I'm confident that they will be contenders because Lebron wouldn't go there if he didn't have a roadmap. That leads me to believe if he goes there other moves are already lined up.
A team with the Cavs defensive rating has never made it out of the first round, the Cavs made it to the finals. No one is saying they’re winning a ring, but they will be good.
Throwing away a year or two of his career. they'll have another chance at free agency with cap space next season. Ingram could develop into something. This isn't new, Lebron did this when he went back to Cleveland. No one thought he'd to the finals his first year back either. By then the Warriors could break up because fo money and Durant wanting to do the Lebron and go to DC or something. The Rockets will have a 34 year old CP3.
You're simply being myopic if you're comparing the draw of the Lakers pre-Lebron to the draw of the Lakers post-Lebron. That's okay, think what you will. I'm not saying the Lakers are guaranteed rings if Lebron goes there. I'm just telling you that virtually every source is saying the Lakers are a primary destination for him. For some reason you, and many others, are blissfully ignoring that. Look at the Rockets...they went from disaster in 2016 to near-championship in 2018. Just because you cannot bear to acknowledge the mere possibility of the best player in the league having a large impact on the league's premiere franchise does not mean that the possibility does not exist. Once again...that is fine, but you probably also thought Chris Paul had zero chance of going to the Rockets at the end of 2016, too.
This obviously is the case. Lebron has done this his entire career. I don't see why people think that is not the case now.
The only chance they'd have to get past the Rockets or Warriors would be injuries to the Warriors or Rockets. We just saw the Warriors sweep Lebron and Kevin Love....if you think Paul George is that much better that give them what, 1 win maybe? Also, you are dismissing the fact that Lebron is getting older, how many more years is he going to be able to "put the team on his back"? You mention Chris Paul's age, but leave out Lebron's age. If we're saying he throws away 2 years in LA that makes him 36 the season after that.
Actually it was more like they went from disaster in 2012 to near championship in 2018.....but if they had to get through 2 teams as good as the Warriors, maybe they don't even make the WCF. Also, I'm not saying Lebron won't go to LA, I'm saying if he does, he's not going to another finals. He doesn't have that much time left in his productive career and he's not getting past the Warriors or Rockets for at least the next 2 seasons.
Imagine a scenario where they keep Randle, add PG and Lebron, move out Ball for Kemba, use the room exception to add one of these players everyone here is convinced will sign for the non tax payer MLE and then add a veteran for the minimum. The idea that the Lakers can't be contenders NEXT YEAR is laughable. All of these attacks on their potential ignore the moves AFTER they get Lebron/PG and ignores how we became a contender by simply having two great players and a bunch of role players. I do NOT believe they can beat the Warriors, but I absolutely believe the Lakers can get to where they are a threat to knock US off in the playoffs.
the league will work with him to produce a contending team there, both in terms of roster additions and RefAid. they stand to make a shitload of money with lebron in their biggest market
Oh I forgot, the Lakers are getting every player in the NBA this off-season. Nevermind, they are winning it all every year for the next decade.
You really think Lebron is going to break down like CP3? He's heather than Harden. I'll believe that when I see it. It's all about luck really. The Rockets wouldn't be going after Lebron is CP3 hadn't gotten hurt. You really think Lebron's health is an issue?
It's one thing to believe LeBron goes to the Lakers. It's another to think if the Rockets swap out Ryan Anderson and Eric Gordon for LeBron James that they wouldn't beat the Warriors. LeBron is better than Durant, Harden is Curry's equal, and CP3 is better than Klay. PJ Tucker can match up with Draymond, and then you still have Capela, Luc Mbah a Moute, possibly Ariza, etc. The Rockets without LeBron would've beaten the Warriors if either they get fair officiating in games 6 and 7 or CP3 doesn't get hurt. Iguodala was out, yes, but somehow I think swapping Eric Gordon for the best player in the world trumps him. Bottom line, adding LeBron without losing CP3 or Harden makes the Rockets the best team in the league. Thinking otherwise is simply being contrarian for the sake of being contrarian.
